August 14, 2017
Transfer News!
I’m training my last 12 weeks of my mission! I think it’s basically set in stone unless something absolutely crazy happens. That means that I’ll have four areas for my entire mission, and ten companions. Seems like pretty happy numbers! I will pick him up on Wednesday, when I go to the mission home in Kumasi.
I’ll give more info about my companion next week, but as for now I know that there are eight Elders coming: one from Ghana, one from the Phillipines, a couple from US, and a couple from Tonga. So the odds are that I’ll be training a non-African, but from my personal history it is pretty likely that I’ll get the Ghanaian. We’re in a two-man apartment, so he’ll only get my example. We don’t associate with other missionaries very often outside of district meeting and zone conferences so it’ll be interesting. I hope we get along! My last two transfers will be his first two.
This Past Week Was Interesting
We had our Branch Conference and when you invite a Ghanaian to a church conference they take it way more seriously than normal church. So we had a few more people at church. Two of them were from Seniagya, the nearby village, because they organized a car to transport them all. The really interesting part about church right now is that the children are flooding the seats. While we can baptize children after coming to church for 6 months (or a little earlier if they show incredible understanding), I feel a bit apprehensive about teaching and baptizing them. The reason being is that they could be stopped by their parents abruptly and there’s not much we or they can do. That happened to one of my recent converts that was baptized in my first area and he can’t come to church anymore.
Getting Ready to Come Home
I have my release date! I will leave Kumasi early on November 7th and if my flight schedule is like the other American Elders, then I’ll leave Accra about 10 pm that night. Yeah! I’m pumped!
Also, I’m planning on buying a mortar and pestle before I leave, so I can pound fufu for you and teach you how to eat it with your hands. I have a guy, so I’ll call him to make a nativity set for me and I’m also gonna order the kentay scripture bags. You can tell Saylor that one is for him. Missionaries here all have guys, so we connect and the vendors LOVE us missionaries.
Things are winding down a bit as far as time, but I want to crank it up on all fronts. As far as spirituality and diligence, I mean. I love it! I love Ghana, I love being a missionary, and I love The Lord.
With Love,
-Elder Gilbert
Just Gilbert 